Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights or the song "100 Years(To Live)". Remember? I said this already...
Warnings: Other characters besides (gasp) Cesia and Rath! ...Oh, and this fic has been pretty much "g" so far. But, in a moment of Rath-ness, there's some brief swearing, okay? Just as a note.
Rath awoke.
He was lying on top of his bed covers, apparently having passed out the previous night before being properly ready to fall asleep.
He sat up in bed, running a hand through his messy black hair, blinking in the dim light.
The shades were drawn.
Rising before his alarm went off, he unplugged the machine, knowing that he would have to reset the time later that day.
But then again, who needed to know which of the many hours and countless minutes of his life it was?
He rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes, blurring the dusty haze.
It must be nearly time to leave the restraints of his home once again for the tedious procedures of school.
And he found himself strangely torn, on the one hand hoping for reality to slip back into it's soul-numbing existence, and on the other praying, pleading, for a change.
For everything to just slip away into echoes, their replications fading into the distance. For the curtain of this sanity to fall back, revealing what a small part of him still hoped to be true.
A shake of a pitch-toussled head, and he stood, walking towards the small bathroom attached to his bedroom. A pause at the frame, and he entered, sliding the door shut behind him.
Outside his room, a plain wooden hallway stood free of dirt and grime. A soft padding, a muted clink of claws on polished wood, and a large white dog appeared. Walking past the almost hauntingly plain walls, he came to a stop at the house's entrance, limpid eyes staring at the door pleadingly.
"Crewger."
It was a whisper in the dunes of time: A faint voice, like the draft from rustling pages of an aged tome.
And for a moment, a man stood behind the beast, brushing a strand of white-blonde hair from his pale eyes, a taunt smile playing on his lips.
The hound turned, almost lazily, to look at the spector, and the door swung open on well oiled hinges.
Crewger's head snapped back, and he trotted contentedly outside into the biting dew lying on the grass.
The world flickered.
Rath stepped out of his bathroom, hair slowly shedding water onto his new clothing. An invisible barrier seemed... Altered in the air surrounding him. Not like his previous shattering and sudden clearing, but simply... Changed from before.
A drop of lemon seemed to circle in the mists.
And he paused, the darkness of his gaze shrinking in on itself into a small velvet drop.
A silver sheen accompanied the almost-scent, and Rath gave a barely unnoticeable shiver.
There was a strange feeling of deja vu flitting upon the early morning light.
Not quite like the previous day, it felt... Firmer. More solid, almost. Tangible.
Like a long forgotten reading, brought into remembrance by a friendly word or line.
Lyrics.
At that thought, Rath jerked his sight to the radio, breath catching as he realized, once again, that without it's flow of power it would be impossible for it to play the morning sports report, much less a song.
And yet it seemed as though anything were possible. As though the merest whisper could set the universe spinning out of control...
"Hoy!"
Rath quite literally jumped six inches off the floor.
"Hey, Rath!"
He spun about, momentarily out of place.
"Who...?"
Then his confused mind placed the voice as belonging to one of the two boys who walked with him to their local school. That's right...
Thats.
As the name clicked into place, so did the rest of his surroundings. School. That was right. He needed to get to school. Casting about for his bag, he spotted it next to his door. He snatched it up and hurriedly made his way to the entrance door. Then he stopped, utterly confused.
The door was blown wide open.
From his vantage point at the top of his stairs, he could see the two teenagers waiting by his front lawn, the blonde leaning over and petting an icy white dog.
Rath was utterly stunned.
"Crewger!"
At his name, the hound turned around, staring at him cooly.
"Crewger?" Rune smiled. "I didn't know you had a dog, Rath."
"Uh..." The mists swirled, "Yeah."
Rath closed his eyes firmly, trying to shake the feeling of light headedness from his being.
"C'mon," the third boy said, somewhat impatient, "Let's go."
Rath nodded, opening his eyes from the dulled violet lights. "Right. Right... Crewger!" He called again, stepping aside as the dog brushed past him, back into the house.
He shut the door.
Locked it.
Crimson swirled in his eyes for a moment, a tarnished bronze key glowing in the back of his consciousness.
Thats stretched, speaking once again when Rath walked up to them and turned onto the frostbitten cement path.
"Weird weather, huh?"
A slow nod. Weather. Rath chided himself. Just the weather. Nothing supernatural, nothing abnormal, nothing special, nothing to set him a-fucking-part from any of the other freaks in this world.
The key slid into ice-cold fingers, the flames shoved back into a tiny chest of worn emotions.
Just the weather.
The elf absentmindedly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind his ear, long fingers running down the cool blunt face of his sword. He shook his head, clear blue eyes hardened at the ground.
"It's because the faeries are gone."
Yes, just the weath... Wait.
"...What?" Rath tore his darkened eyes back up to his friend.
Rune sent him a puzzled glance, shifting the weight of his bag from one shoulder to another, hands subconsciously running over the straps.
"I said, it's because of the cold front we're having. Why so startled, Rath? It was on the news last night."
The black haired boy continued staring, completely bewildered.
And a small key, dirty gold in color, slipped noiselessly from his grasp.
o.o Hey... It's actually starting to get a plot... I mean, it's always had a plot, but now the plot is understandable... Ish... ...I'm confusing myself.
Kat Ho: ...Eh... Because I'm lazy like that? Wait no more:strikes pose: For I have finally updated!
Yume-chan:shrugs: I just tend to have fun with this one fic. ...Er. And SSY. :sweatdrop: And I don't think you are mean. :O
Kat: That was actually understandable. Good, considering it was all dark and shit... :snaps fingers: I REMEMBER THAT! That was AWESOME. Great timing and everything. And all the leaves just made the effect even better. n-n
FireyFlames: ...Thank you?
Hououza:shrugs: Well, I don't think he's crazy, either. ...Um. Not like that, at least. Actually, I really like your explanation. You hear that, people? Anyone confused, go read this guy's review:O
Capella: I get it. That is irritating. o.o And you do stay up late... What, you sleep during class, or something:trying to figure it out: And you should read it. It's a really fast read, got random pictures, and is bloody hysterical. Plus, that chapter is just one looooong rant. XDD
Charna: ...I just realized I left you out.had to take down chapter, then upload again Anyway, snow? Blizzard? Lucky!
Peridot-Chan: As always, LOVE the name. And Cesia with brown hair reminds me of Cesia from Book 1. ...Mainly because that was when she looked like that. :stating the obvious: Was this too long:nervous: But then again, I actually like your idea. It'd probably be very helpful. nn;
Fairy Tail Faerie: Thanks! And... Nah, I'm sure that's not it. ;)
Kitty2Satan: o-o Really! Wow, thank you. Yeah, I know it's short. My bad... :is lazy like that:
You all know what to do. I actually wrote a non-filler chapter! Doggie wants biscut!